Ben Ikin
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Ikin is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer and former commentator for the Nine Network
now employed by One HD. An Australian international and Queensland
State of Origin representative centre turned five-eighth, he played his club football for the Gold Coast Chargers
, North Sydney Bears
and Brisbane Broncos
, with whom he won the 2000 premiership, before being forced into early retirement by injury.
junior and promising centre and five-eighth, Ben Ikin became the youngest player in State of Origin
history when he was chosen as a replacement back for the Maroons during the troubled 1995 season at age 18. He did not disappoint when he got his chance, with the underdog Queensland team winning the series 3-0.
Ikin's debut season ended prematurely when he was injured and he signed with the North Sydney Bears in 1996. While he was not required for the 1996 State of Origin series, his efforts with the Maroons in 1997–1998 marked him as a Test player of the future. At the end of 1998, Ikin went someway toward fulfilling that potential when he was chosen as a reserve in the final two Tests against New Zealand in September, making him currently the last international to be selected from the North Sydney club. He then tried to gain a release from his contract to play with premiers the Brisbane Broncos in 1999, but his request was refused. Reluctantly playing with the Bears, he suffered a broken jaw in an off-field incident that kept him sidelined for eight weeks.
Ikin finally got the chance to link with Brisbane when the Bears were forced into a Joint Venture with Manly in 2000, and he finished his first season with the Broncos playing five-eighth in the club's grand final win over the Roosters
. It was later revealed that he played the latter part of the season with a shoulder injury that required surgery during the 2000 off-season. In 2000 Ikin was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. Ikin also considered playing for Wales
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
due to his Welsh heritage through his grandfather
A mainstay of the Queensland State of Origin team, a further knee injury limited him to just 6 matches in 2001 and ruined any chance of extending his Test record. Ikin made a successful comeback from his injury, even returning to State of Origin duty, but he had lost a lot of his speed and decided to stand down from the Broncos' elite squad at the end of 2003. Playing for Broncos' feeder club Toowoomba
, Ikin was recalled into the Brisbane team during the 2004 representative season and played in 11 games in the latter half of the year.
and regularly appeared on The Sunday Roast
. On June 3, 2009, Ikin resigned from the Nine Network
, due to A Current Affair running a story about his family's ill-fated storage business on the Gold Coast
.
Ikin is married to Beth (Elizabeth) Bennett, the daughter of former Bronco's coach Wayne Bennett.
Sean Ikin, Ben's middle brother, was a successful recording artist with Universal Records from 1999 to 2002. Sean recorded an independent album in London UK in 2005 called 'Gallery of Murmurs'.
Ikin's youngest brother, Anthony, is a five-time Australian aerobics
champion, and was a top-twenty contestant in the first series of So You Think You Can Dance.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer and former commentator for the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
now employed by One HD. An Australian international and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
State of Origin representative centre turned five-eighth, he played his club football for the Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...
, North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
and Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
, with whom he won the 2000 premiership, before being forced into early retirement by injury.
Playing career
As a Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
junior and promising centre and five-eighth, Ben Ikin became the youngest player in State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
history when he was chosen as a replacement back for the Maroons during the troubled 1995 season at age 18. He did not disappoint when he got his chance, with the underdog Queensland team winning the series 3-0.
Ikin's debut season ended prematurely when he was injured and he signed with the North Sydney Bears in 1996. While he was not required for the 1996 State of Origin series, his efforts with the Maroons in 1997–1998 marked him as a Test player of the future. At the end of 1998, Ikin went someway toward fulfilling that potential when he was chosen as a reserve in the final two Tests against New Zealand in September, making him currently the last international to be selected from the North Sydney club. He then tried to gain a release from his contract to play with premiers the Brisbane Broncos in 1999, but his request was refused. Reluctantly playing with the Bears, he suffered a broken jaw in an off-field incident that kept him sidelined for eight weeks.
Ikin finally got the chance to link with Brisbane when the Bears were forced into a Joint Venture with Manly in 2000, and he finished his first season with the Broncos playing five-eighth in the club's grand final win over the Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
. It was later revealed that he played the latter part of the season with a shoulder injury that required surgery during the 2000 off-season. In 2000 Ikin was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
Australian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. Ikin also considered playing for Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
due to his Welsh heritage through his grandfather
A mainstay of the Queensland State of Origin team, a further knee injury limited him to just 6 matches in 2001 and ruined any chance of extending his Test record. Ikin made a successful comeback from his injury, even returning to State of Origin duty, but he had lost a lot of his speed and decided to stand down from the Broncos' elite squad at the end of 2003. Playing for Broncos' feeder club Toowoomba
Toowoomba Clydesdales
The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league football club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, named after the Scottish horse breed. They played in the Queensland Wizard Cup since the competition began in 1996 but no longer play in this competition....
, Ikin was recalled into the Brisbane team during the 2004 representative season and played in 11 games in the latter half of the year.
Post playing
Ben Ikin was a rugby league commentator for the Nine NetworkNine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and regularly appeared on The Sunday Roast
The Sunday Roast
The Sunday Roast is an Australian sports talk show that deals with the issues in the National Rugby League. It airs on the Nine Network, and first aired in 2005, beginning at and leading into The Sunday Footy Show. In 2006, with the axing of Boots N' All, The Sunday Footy Show moved to , with The...
. On June 3, 2009, Ikin resigned from the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, due to A Current Affair running a story about his family's ill-fated storage business on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
.
Ikin is married to Beth (Elizabeth) Bennett, the daughter of former Bronco's coach Wayne Bennett.
Sean Ikin, Ben's middle brother, was a successful recording artist with Universal Records from 1999 to 2002. Sean recorded an independent album in London UK in 2005 called 'Gallery of Murmurs'.
Ikin's youngest brother, Anthony, is a five-time Australian aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
champion, and was a top-twenty contestant in the first series of So You Think You Can Dance.